slings

[elcapitan1974]

Maybe try climbing higher than the two pieces in your mouth for quik acess will take you. High ball problems are fun but long multi pitch is rad!

[512OW]

I think its faster and more efficient on long routes if the follower racks the cleaned gear back on their harness in the order they like it. Then at the belay they size up the next pitch, add a few pieces, and set off. Even with a gear sling, they still have to rerack, because they just cleaned the previous pitch. Also, with a gear sling, theres the risk of dropping the entire rack, instead of one piece. No thanks.

You mean your follower has time to rerack the gear on his harness as he is cleaning the pitch in the order he would do the next pitch as he is pulling sustained 12d moves? Your follower must climb better than you! All you have to do is rack preroute in sequence on the ground. He / she is in the crux of 12d roof crack with him/her leading the next 13a pitch, cleaning gear and think next pitch. Maybe if your the Huber bros!

Uhhhh... huh? In the post you quoted, I said "long route". If you can rack on the ground for 10 or more pitches, then your harness has more gear loops than mine. And why would the follower be in the crux of the previous pitch while the leader is leading the next pitch?

You seem to also be referencing my "at your limit" post, though you somehow combined the two. In that case, on a long route, the follower would probably be jugging, in which case a chest harness for aiding would work best. And even if they aren't jugging.... still yes. The old tactics are just that... old. Outdated.

Again... huh?

[512OW]

Maybe try climbing higher than the two pieces in your mouth for quik acess will take you. High ball problems are fun but long multi pitch is rad!

Uhhh... huh?

Have you rockclimbed before?

[elcapitan1974]

I have been climbing for many years and I think your opinon is just that buddy, YOURS! I think you should do what makes you comfortable. I have lead many pitches and have cleaned many. When, im cleaning im not think about how im racking for the next pitch, just that I clip the gear to me before disconnecting it from the rope!

[512OW]

I have been climbing for many years and I think your opinon is just that buddy, YOURS! I think you should do what makes you comfortable. I have lead many pitches and have cleaned many. When, im cleaning im not think about how im racking for the next pitch, just that I clip the gear to me before disconnecting it from the rope!

Ok. If you wanna go slow that's your choice.

[L K Day]

Funny how this thread started as a question about slinging gear, then devolved into a stupid argument about racking gear. The argument leads to one potentially useful subject, however, and that's dropping shit. We all know you don't want to drop stuff, for obvious, and sometimes not so obvious reasons. Of all the stuff you could drop the gear sling should be no problem what-so-ever. The passer holds the damned sling in both hands until the recipient has it in both hands and says "I got it". Same way you hand your partner an SLR. You'll never drop anything with a big sling on it if you handle the pass off like that. You might actually be more likely to lose an over-the-shoulder gear sling in a leader fall. I've never heard of that happening, but I can see how it easily could. Because gear slung over the shoulder raises the leader's center of gravity, it makes it more likely that a fallen leader will end up inverted, increasing the risk of head injury as well.

The haulbag is a somewhat different story, it's heavy, awkward as hell, and not nearly so easy to hang on to. Develop a routine, and don't blow it. I know of an accident on El Cap that cost three climbers their lives when they either accidentally dropped or intentionally threw off their heavily loaded haulbag. Problem was the haulbag was still clipped to the end of the rope and they'd made a technical error at the anchor as well. When the rope came taught, one bolt failed, and they took the big ride.

I've also heard of climbers throwing their rap line off the crag because it wasn't run through the anchor first. Ooops!

[jamlawyer]

I watched a guy climbing in the Gunks with a gear sling around his shoulder/chest, take a leader fall and his whole sling fell much farther below him. He was without a great about of gear the rest of the way and spent the afternoon trying to figure a way to get it back

[Ascentionist]

Funny, I've tried racking a myriad of ways and my one hard fast rule is: no gear slings on slabs.

Typically rack small to large cams and then passive behind. Then I put my "quick" draws on the third set of loops (Misty Cadillac) and shoulder sling, one biner each over the shoulder.

At that point, if i feel I need a piece on a gear sling I clip it to a shoulder sling. I almost always clean (following) onto a shoulder sling or gear sling.

At one point I experiemented with alternating gear or draws on a gear sling, the other on gear loops of the harness. Finally decided I just hated a gear sling.

I'm not totally opposed to a double gear sling, it seems to keep the gear out of my climbing zone (I flail a lot) but having been primarily a SE climber a double gear sling tends to make me sweat even more than usual (which is a whole freakin' lot!).

Now that I am in drier climes I may try to go back to a doulbe gear sling. Might ask for one for my birthday or father's day...

[Snowpuppy]

I use slings. It depends on how and what kind of piece you place, they even work for "natural pro".

[Danny]

I use a sling to play with my dingaling, and play the tub and sing and hope for the door bell to ring jingaling.